Captain Louis Gregoire of the Miller County Sheriff's Office says a dental comparison confirmed the bones were those of Ricky Wierman, a 54-year-old reported missing in July 2012. The bones were found in a rural area along Highway 87.

An analysis of the remains found that Wierman had been living in the woods, according to a press release.

The Department of Anthropology at the University of Missouri examined the remains. The Sheriff's Office did not determine a cause of death, but said in the press release that "evidence does not point to foul play."